Spinal cord injury (SCI) occurs when trauma or other factors damage the spinal cord, disrupting the flow of sensory information from the body to the brain. This interruption can interfere with embodiment-the body awareness and physical sensations processed by the brain-sometimes leading to a phenomenon called disembodiment.
For people with SCI, disembodiment may appear as unusual body sensations, like feeling that a limb is in a different position than it actually is. Such changes in body awareness can impact daily life, mental health, and rehabilitation outcomes.
Despite its importance, the study of embodiment in SCI remains limited. This project aims to explore how SCI alters embodiment, focusing on its specific characteristics, the effects on daily life, and the underlying brain activity as measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Both people with and without SCI will participate.
Procedure: Participants will complete a single examination lasting 2 to 2.5 hours, including approximately 55 minutes in the MRI scanner (with preparation and follow-up).
Age between 18 and 60
Normal or corrected-to-normal visual acuity
German or Italian native speaker
Diagnosis of traumatic spinal cord injury
Pregnancy or breastfeeding
Diagnosis of other psychiatric or neurological disorders (e.g. epilepsy, tumor in the central nervous system)
Confirmed diagnosis of alcohol and/or drug abuse with active consumption within the last 6 months
Confirmed diagnosis of traumatic brain injury, intended as visible changes in the brain diagnosed by a radiologist
Individuals with spinal cord injury and healthy controls.
Case-control
Prospective
Behavioral assessment
BehavioralA comprehensive behavioral assessment of embodiment and its effect on daily living, taking into account pain, interoception, emotions and anxiety, sleep quality, life satsfaction and cognition.
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)
BehavioralNeural mechanisms of embodiments will be explored with MRI sequences including structural MRI, resting-state and task-based fMRI of the head. The task will be a modified version of the rubber hand illusion, previously used to asess embodiment. Participants will be required to lay in the MRI with their legs bended upright and a screen placed at the level of their hips, which will show a pair of legs. The participant's leg will be stroked with a paintbrush while the image on the screen will be showing the virtual legs being stroked. Participants will be required to report how strongly they perceive the virtual legs as their own, as a measure of embodiment.
Score on the Body Feelings and Illusions questionnaire (BoFI)
A questionnaires that assess different dimensions of embodiment and disembodiment.
Brain activity
Brain activity defined as changes in oxygen levels in the blood during the execution of the embodiment task, and at rest.
Strenght of the embodiment illusion
Strenght of the embodiment illusion during the fMRI procedures, measured through a Likert scale.
Qualitative assessment of embodiment
Qualitative assessment of the experience of embodiment by means of a semi-structured interview.
Score on the WHO Disability Assessment Scale (WHODAS-II)
A scale that assesses activity limitation and participation restriction in the daily life due to disability.
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
